Jack met his Prep teacher this morning. He insisted on wearing his new, too-big school uniform for the 45 minute meeting at his new school, and said it was absolutely imperative to carry his empty backpack (ok, he didn't use the word 'imperative', but you catch the drift!) He found his name tag next to his bag hook, put on his name badge, and sat with Miss Griffiths to do "work". I was in the classroom attempting to keep Miss Mouse occupied, and heard my son get bashful and a bit giggly when his teacher asked him to count, or name colours. With a little bit of coaxing, he completed all of the pre-tests, and then sat back with his arms behind his head and said, "I think I've had enough work now. My arms won't do anymore."
To Miss Griffiths' credit, she laughed and said that it was time to take a little tour together anyway. We found the toilets, the playground and the pick-up point for hometime. We took a little task home to complete before next week, all about our family. And I put Jack back in the car at 9:30am, in his lovely, clean school uniform, and realised that I have been a very neglectful, completely blind mother.
Now, I know that you are all aware that I am, shall we say, an 'emotional' mum. I cry when I'm proud, I weep when I'm happy, I'm a mess when a milestone is passed - heck, I bawled when Maisie grew out of her 000 baby clothes. The beginning of Jack's time at primary school was not a surprise to me - after all, I'm the one who completed the enrolment forms!! And being a teacher myself, I am more than aware of the "first day jitters" - whether it's starting Prep, starting Year 7, or even just starting at a new school, both the children and the parents are notoriously weepy. I have been waiting for the "my-first-baby-is-going-to-school" tears for a few weeks now, and to be perfectly truthful there hasn't been so much as a sniffle coming from my direction.
I was pretty happy about this, since I figured Jack didn't need the social stigma of an ugly crier on the first day of school. But alas, it would seem that I have not grown out of my predisposal for sobbing, but rather I have just not registered that my baby boy, my firstborn son, the little man who was only born a few weeks ago (or so it feels like!), is going off to school next week AND I AM NOT ALLOWED TO GO WITH HIM!!!! Oh my good god. What have I done?????? I have wasted countless days doing housework or buying groceries or...I dunno...folding washing (?)....just doing 'stuff', without realising that my time with all three of my kids at home, was limited. Even with Jack and Phoebe going to kinder two days a week, I still had three week days to spend with them...and now I'm afraid I've frittered it away!!!!
Well, there's nothing for it but to spend the next five days hugging and kissing Jack so much that he begs to go to school. I will smother him with love and attention and games and...and...doing good stuff that there won't be a moment when I haven't proven how much I love him. How grateful am I for that little dress rehearsal this morning?? Otherwise I might have completely missed my last chance to absolutely obliterate my son with affection, time, and attention. Phew!!
Now, I'm off to launder my hankies in preparation for The First Official Day Of School...goodness knows I'm going to need them.
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